Horse-detacher.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.v

J. A. DDNALDSON. HORSE DETAGHER.

APPLICATION nun 19. 1903.

iro MODEL.

/ ill! I z .w m m a witmzooeo Patented May 5, 1903.-

()FFICE,

JAMES A. DONALDSON, or GREENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,

HYORSE-DZETACHER.

, SPECIFICATION forming part or Letters Patent No. vaassl, dated m 5, 1903.

Application filed January 19, 19:03. Serial No.139.657. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, JAMES A. DONALDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and a useful Improvements inHorse-Detachers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement upon the horse-detaching device illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 594,334, issued to me November 23, 1897.

My patented device consists, broadly, of a sin gletree com prising two members orsection s hinged to a central union or journal-piece attached to the cross-bar or other part of the vehicle, said members being held normally rigid with the union'by a catch, but adaptedto be released by disengaging the catch to permit said members to swing inwardly and W forwardly,-whereby the traces will pull off the ends of the singletree to permit immediate detaching of the horse-from the vehicle.

Such a device is obviously exceedingly usef ol the singletree to oscillate thereon. These andother objects are attained by means substantially as illustrated in the accompanying draw-' ings, which are to betakcnas a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is a central horizontal section through the union and'adjacent ends of -the two members ofthe singletree hinged thereto. Fig. 2 is a central transverse vertical section through the union. view of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation thereof with the catch removed. Fig. 5 is a detail front View of the catch. Fig. 6 is a detail top View of the bearing or socket for the union. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan Fig. 3 is a bottom-plan' view of the shafts .of avehicle, with the sin at their rear ends to-thesingletree, and D the b'reeching or holdback, connected to the shafts. V

The singletree (designated by the letter E) comprises two members hinged or pivoted at their inner or adjacent ends to a union or journal-piece G- in such manner that said members can befolded together forwardly or inwardly. Preferably the inner ends of the singletree are fitted in'metal socketpieces F, which latter areconnected to. the union, also of metal.

In my aforesaid patented device, as disclosed in saidLetters Patent, the union consists of a T-shaped piece, to the front opp0- site-lugs of which the singletree members, or rather theirsocket-pieces, are hinged, the inner ends of said members or socket-pieces abutting the opposite sides of said union and the members being held normally rigid with the union by meansof a rearward spring-actuated catch having lips engaging projections on said membersor their socket-pieces. The catch has a bolt or other headed stern projecting therefrominto a recess in the union, and a stout coiled spring encircles said bolt or stem,- betweenqthe head thereof and a shoulder inthe recess, thus holding the catch forward. Thebottomof the union has a suitjablebearing plate or surface fitting a bearing or socket therefor on the cross-bar, and adepending bolt or stem integral or rigid with the union or its bottomplate is inserted through an aperture in the cross-bar and secured by a clevis, nuts, or otherwise. v

In my present device the union consists of a shortupright piece or body having. forwardly-projecting-lugs g at its top and bottom, said lugs preferably extending as flanges beyond the sides of said body. The inner ends of the socket-pieces F abut flush against the opposite sides of said union, between the top and bottom flanges thereof, and said socket-pieces are formed with pivot-lugs f, which extend between the lugs g, directly in front of the body of the union, and a suitable pin or bolt H is inserted through registering apertures in the lugs g and lugsf. As shown, one socket-piece has two of such lugsf,leaving an intermediate space to receive a single one of suchlugs on the other socket-piece. It will thus be seen that such construction is simpler, stronger, and more compact, the union is more narrow, the socket-pieces F are pi voted by a single pin or bolt instead of two, which bolt lies directly in front of the center of the union, and when the members of the singletree are folded they can be brought close together for their entire lengths, since the fronts of the socket-pieces can be brought into contact.

The catch (herein designated by the letter J) is somewhat similar to that shown in my aforesaid patent, having beveled or inclined lipsy' at its ends fitting in similarly-formed recessesf in the back faces of the socketpieces F and engaging shoulders or lugsf thereon to hold said socket-pieces rigid with the union, in proper position to permit pulling the vehicle by the singletree. Owing to the slight width of the union, the lugs or shouldersf can be made wider, and hence stronger, than in my aforesaid patented device without increasing the length of the catch J. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the edges of the lips j are stepped, as shown at J, and the edges of the shouldersor lugs f are correspondingly formed, such construction being not essential, but preferable, to form a better and a stronger lock-joint and adapt the catch to snap into place, as well as to detach more readily. The catch has a central aperture j preferably angular or polygonal, which lits over a similarly-formed stud g, projecting from the rear of the union, and a stout coiled compression -spring K incloses said stud, said spring being interposed between the back of the catch and a suitable pin or other projection on the stud, thus holding the catch positively in place. The catch may have a sleevej thereon inclosing said stud and spring, on which a cap L may be screwed or fitted to house the spring. The catch may also be provided with a loop or pull-piece M for connection to a strap, which the driver can pull to disengage the catch from the socket-pieces, and thus permit the singletree to double up and letthe ends of the traces pull 0d the same. 13y locating the spring behind the catch in the manner stated the necessity of an aperture thereforin the union,which renders the latter weaker, is thus avoided. A further advantage is attained by this location of the spring in addition to that just noted. The construct-ion permit-s of a vertical bolt N being inserted clear through the union for connection to the cross-piece, which is of course impossible where the union contains a spring. Furthermore, should the bolt become worn, bent, or broken it can readily be removed, repaired, or replaced by another one by any blacksmith, thus obviating the necessity of procuring a new union.

The union has a bearing on its under side, preferably cast integrally therewith, said bearing consisting, preferably, of a flat circular part 9 with one or more depending annular ribs or ledges 9 adapted to fit in a corresponding annular groove or grooves 0 in a bearing-piece 0, attached to the cross-bar B, which bearing-piece 0 may be formed with suitable sidelugs or projections having apertures to receive screws for such attachment. The bolt N passes through a tubular part g in said hearing, which fits in the central opening 0 in said bearing-piece. As a means for limiting the oscillatory movements of the singletree I preferably employ a pair of studs 9 projecting from the annular ledge g into short segmental slots 0 in the bottom of the bearing-piece 0. It will thus be observed that a neat practically dust-proof bearing is produced, and the studs g and slots 0 are completely incased, and thus kept from becoming clogged by dirt and dust, so that free oscillatory movement of the singletree within the limit allowed by the travel of the studs in the slots is always insured.

The breeching or holdback may be secured to suitable devices on the shafts to permit detachment or release of said holdback when the traces are detached or the singletree doubles up.

-I thus provide a very simple, strong, and efficient device, and its use and operation will be apparent from the foregoing description. As already explained, when the horse is harnessed to the vehicle the singletree is held rigid by the catch J, the ends of the traces are looped over the ends of said singletree, and the ends of the breeching-strap are suitably attached to the shafts. When it is desired to detach the horse quickly, the driver pulls back the catch by a strap connected thereto or to the pu1l-piece M, whereupon as the horse proceeds the two members of the singletree fold together forwardly, thus allowing the traces to pull off their ends and the breeching-strap detaches from the shafts, all as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

Vhile the invention is shown applied to a singletree, it is obvious, of course, that it is equally applicable to doubletrees or tripletrees, etc.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a horse-detacher,a singletree comprising two hinged members and an intermediate union adapted to be mounted on the cross-bar or other part of the vehicle, the inner or adjacent ends of said members abutting opposite sides of said union and being hinged to the front thereof by a single pivot-pin, together with a catch normally maintaining said members rigid with the union but adapted to be disengaged and thus allow them to ICO fold together forwardly to permit the traces to slip off their ends, substantially as described.

2. In a horse-detacher,a singletree comprising two hinged members and an intermediate union adapted to be mounted on the cross-bar or other part of the vehicle, said union consisting of a short uprightpiece having a pair of forwardly-projecting lugs, the inner or adjacent ends of said members abutting the or other part of the vehicle,said union consisting ofa short upright piece having top and bottom forwardly-projecting lugs which extend as flanges beyond the sides thereof, the inner or adjacent ends of said members abutting the opposite sides of said union and being embraced by said side flanges and having pivot-lugs embraced between said front lugs and pivoted thereto by a single pivotpin, together with a catch normally holding said members rigid with the union but adapted to be disengaged to permit them to fold together forwardly, substantially as described.

4:. In a horse-detacher,a'singletree comprising two members hinged to an intermediate union which is adapted to be mounted on the cross-bar or other part of the vehicle, and a spring-actuated catch located behind the union having lips which lie in recesses in the backs of said members and which engage the shoulders at the inner ends of said recesses to hold the members rigid with the union, the edges of said lips being stepped substantially as shown and the edges of said shoulders engaged thereby being correspondingly stepped.

5. In ahorse-detacher,a singletree comprising two members hinged to an intermediate union or journal-piece, and. a catch located behind said union having lips which engage shoulders or projections on the backs of said members to hold them rigid with said union, a stud projecting from the union through an aperture in said catch, and a coiled compression-spring encircling said stud interposed between the catch and a suitable stop on the stud, substantially as described.

6. In ahorse-detacher,asingletree comprising two members hinged to an intermediate union or journal-piece, and a catch'located behind said union having lips which engage shoulders or projections on the backs of said members to hold them rigid with said union, a stud projecting from the union through an aperture in said catch, and a coiled compression-spring encircling said stud interposed between the catch and a suitable stop on the stud, a tubular parton the union inclosing said stud and spring," and a cap fitting said tubular part, substantially as described.

7. In a horsedetacher,a singletree comprising two members hinged to an'intermedi'ate union mounted on the cross-bar or other part ofthe vehicle, a pin or bolt inserted through said union and fastening the same to said cross-bar or other part, and a catch connecting said members behind the union and holding them rigid therewith, said catchbeing held in place by a spring located behind the same, substantially as described.

8. In a horse-detacher, the combination of a singletree comprising two members hinged to an intermediate union, saidunion' having a bottom bearing with an annular'depending ledge, a bearing on the cross-bar or other part of the vehicleon which said first-mentioned bearing is fitted, the second bearing having an annular groove to receive said annular ledge, and a depending-stud'or studs 'on said 

